6 Ways to Snack Smarter

From: Prevention.com What To Do When You Overeat 10 Ways to Curb Your Eating Just one more chip, you tell yourself. Next thing you know, you're curled up on the couch with an empty bag and a stomachache. Most of us snack too much when we should be pouring our calories into meals, but that's easier said than done when your favorite TV show  comes on. Check "out our tips for cutting back the snacks—like eating a better breakfast and taking a different route home— -and you'll Become a Smarter Snacker.

How to Stop Mindless Snacking

Do you sometimes find yourself eating when you are not really hungry?

Do you ever sit down in front of the TV with a bag of snacks and before you know it you have finished the whole thing. 

Or you stop to talk to a co-worker in front of the candy dish and before you know it your looking at a handful of wrappers that you have to throw away discreetly. 

Well if it makes you feel better, your not alone. 

Some snacking can be good for you but you have to learn to understand the difference between mindless snacking and true hunger.

Often times we snack because we think we have a physical hunger, but we actually have an emotional hunger.  But no matter what or how much you eat, you can never satisfy an emotional need with food.

So what to do?

I have a simple, yet empowering and effective approach to helping you deal with your emotional or non-hunger snacking.  It’s just Five easy steps:

Stop. Hydrate. Think. Write. Reflect 

Stop

Stop.......are you filling a physical need or an emotional need. 

Hydrate

Often times we are dehydrated and mistake that for hunger, so drink a big glass of aqua and wait at least ten minutes and see if you are still feeling "hungry". 

Think

Before you snack, ask yourself:  “Am I really hungry?” Instead analyze your state of mind, are you bored, tired, stressed, angry, lonely, or the thousands of other emotions out there.

Are you using food to mask underlying feelings you don’t want to deal with?  Things like relationship issues, employment issues, financial issues, ...etc.

Write

Nest, sit down, take out a piece of paper and write at the top of the page, “What do I need?” and start writing.  Write 3 things that you need right now or in your life.  You may be surprised to find that it’s not really food you’re hungry for, but for something else in your life.

Reflect, It’s Not All Or Nothing

Now I don’t want to you think I’m saying to stop all non-hungry snacking. There’s a place, without big servings of guilt on the side, for a piece of your friend’s birthday cake, a celebratory glass of wine after the completion of a big project at work, or an ice cream after a hot day at the beach.  But constantly “soothing” yourself with food because you’re bored, anxious, frustrated or depressed is a definite no-no.

Now - Eat Without Guilt (c’mon, you knew that would be part of the equation!)

The most undervalued skill when it comes to managing our snacking and hunger is learning to eat without guilt. We’re often snacking quickly for a whole lot of non-hunger reasons and, when we do, it’s easy to eat more than what we should.

There’s a power that comes from learning to slow down and really taste food, and accepting that it’s okay to snack for non-hunger reasons occasionally.


For more healthy snack options go to our page www.GetHealthyOrlando.com/SnackOptions.html 

A Perfectly Healthy Day. . . . . There's an App for That!

A Perfect Day Of Apps - Your trusty sidekick can boost your health. Here's how

You love your cell phone. So much that you’d even marry it—or at least forego some of life’s greatest pleasures for it. In fact, one-third of American adults would rather give up sex for a week than their phones, and 55 percent would rather give up caffeine, according to a survey by the mobile GPS company TeleNav. 

But don’t panic, there’s no need to choose. In fact, the plethora of apps available to you means loving your cell phone can be a big boost for your health. Check out these five easy-to-use apps that will get you through the day with a

Keeping Fit:  Endomondo     

Starting your day with some exercise is always a good call, and research shows that working out with a pal makes you more likely to keep at it. But what if your ideal gym buddy lives in LA and you’re in NYC? This fitness app lets you challenge friends far and wide and even send them pep talks in real time. Plus, it tracks your distance, speed, and calories. Think of it as a way to engage in some healthy competition with your bi-coastal bestie. (Available for iPhone and Android, free) 

An Exerciser's Best Friend An Exerciser's Best Friend

Eating Easy:  My FitnessPal       

You've heard it before: Calorie counting is a vital part of weight loss. But who wants to drag a notebook around all day to jot down each bite? MyFitnessPal takes the number crunching out of your healthy eating equation. Enter your weight loss goal, and then click on what you eat throughout the day (pick from 1,100,000 foods), and the app keeps a running tab. (Available for iPhone and Android, free)

Staying Perky:  Caffeine Tracker    

Can’t survive without that second (or fourth) cup of coffee in the afternoon? Caffeine Tracker will help make sure that you can enjoy a couple of energy bursts during your day without sacrificing sleep. Just enter in your caffeinated drink of choice—coffee, cola, or tea—and watch the graph to see when the energizing compound will exit your system. (Available for iPhone and Android, .99 cents)

23 Ways To Eat Clean 

Getting Busy:  My Days    

Whether you’re trying to have a baby, not have a baby, or simply monitor your periods, My Days app can help. The app asks you to put in your periods and, er, other fun activities to help map your ovulation and fertility. (Available for iPhone and Android, free)

Hitting The Hay:  Relax and Sleep     

Sometimes, a little bit of white noise can be all you need to catch some zzz’s. Now you can turn your phone into a white noise machine with the Relax and Sleep app. Choose from more than fifty ambient sounds, such as loons on the lake, the hum of an air conditioner, or the sound of a beating heart, and get ready to drift off to dreamland. (Available for Android, free)

Beginning Healthy Eating - Use your plate as a guide - replaces food pyramid

What people consider healthy eating is constantly changing, so it’s important to read recent research and stay up-to-date on what is happening.  For example, the food guide pyramid that we learned in school so many years ago has changed numerous times.  It currently looks like this:

Current Healthy Eating Guidelines are easy to find if you’re just willing to take the time.  One suggestion that many experts give is to have a plan each week for what you’ll eat.  Plan out at least dinners, if not all meals.  This helps eating healhty because you can be prepared with all the ingredients you need instead of deciding what you want one night, realizing you don’t have what you need, and ordering pizza instead.

  Another important aspect is to not deprive yourself from eating foods you like.  When you do that it just creates a bigger crave and when you finally do eat that thing, you’ll binge on it, creating an even worse situation than if you just ate a little once in a while. 

Snacks are a big part of why people aren’t healthy.  It’s not a mealtime and they just want something small to hold them over until dinner.  This video below will help you learn how to snack healthy!

Break These 5 Bad Eating Habits Today!

From: Town Square Buzz

Habits, good or bad, they are part of our daily behavior. 
And when it comes to eating, these habits can greatly increase the chance of becoming overweight. Below are 5 really bad eating habits that you can change today. Work on them every day until they’ve been replaced with healthier practices!

1. Bad Snacking
Snacks are great between meals to help you get to the next one. But don’t fall victim to buying foods labeled as “snacks” in your grocery store. Foods like crackers, cookies, chips, 100-calorie packs and granola bars won’t satisfy you. In fact, they’ll likely sabotage your nutrition plan, creating a negative effect on your blood sugar, cravings, body fat and energy.
 

Try this. Start each week by preparing snacks ahead of time. Fill several sandwich bags with nuts, raisins, seeds, cut vegetables or fruit.

2. Eating Somewhere Other Than the Table
Studies show families that dine around a table together on a regular basis eat healthier and are less likely to have overweight children.
 

Try This: Set a goal for a number of times you will eat around the table each week. Start small, just once if you need to, and build up your frequency. Over time, it should become a habit most nights of the week.
Focus on how and what you eat. Enjoy the meal fully, without distractions. No phones, computers or televisions allowed.

3. Eating Too Fast
The average person spends less than twenty minutes eating each meal. Eating fast poses a huge problem for your body’s natural hunger and satiety signals. It often leads to overeating.
 

Try This: Eat Slow. Allow yourself at least 30 minutes per meal. Every bite you take should be savored. Put down your fork between bites and chew at least 20-30 times. There is a time and a place where a meal or snack might need to be rushed, but that shouldn’t have to be at every meal.

4. Multitasking While Eating
Do you work through lunch? Fold laundry or pay your bills as you eat dinner? We are a multi-tasking society! We live in a nation of poor nutrition choices, which have played a huge part in our obesity problems. That alone justifies the need for eating to be a solely task in itself.
 

Try This: Take a break! Really practice not doing anything else while eating, unless it includes conversing or engaging with other people around you. Take the time to enjoy your meal. Fewer distractions will allow you to think clearly about your healthy food choices.

5. Poor Planning
You may have every intention of eating healthy, but you have to plan it. Our lifestyles set up a situation of easy-access, unhealthy food choices.
 

Try This: Healthy people meal plan. Plan your dinners a week ahead of time and stick to your plan. This naturally builds a healthy grocery list. Don’t forg

10 Ways to Add More Soy to Your Diet

Soy foods are widely available, and great for your health. Soy is high in protein, helps lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, and may help with menopause symptoms. The soy isoflavone genistein can act like weak estrogens, and may help prevent breast cancer, particularly when consumed during pre-puberty, when breast tissues are being developed. With all those benefits, you might want to get some of those soy-base health benefits for yourself and your family. Here are five easy ways to start incorporating
soy in your diet.

From:About.com via HealthCastle.com Soy-based foods are often neglected in the North American diet, but they shouldn't be! Soy is a heart friendly food because it can help to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. On top of that, eating soy foods is a great way to build bone health and has been show to help prevent cancer, particularly prostate ancer. With so many great nutritional features, there is no reason to keep soy off the dinner table. 

Adding More Soy to Your Diet

Health experts recommend a diet with 25 grams of daily soy protein intake to reap the health benefits (one glass of soymilk contains ~ 8 g). Here are 10 ways you can include more soy in your diet:

1. Edamame: You can find edamame beans in the frozen foods aisle. Simply pour some edamame into a bowl with water and microwave until hot. Drain the water and sprinkle the edamame with salt for a quick, healthy snack.
2. Soy nut butter: Found right next to the other nut butters, this tasty spread is great on toast and makes for a change at breakfast.
3. Soy milk: Fat-free, regular, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate – there are so many varieties of soy milk to try! Use soy milk with cereal, in baking, and to make pancakes. Or simply drink as a healthy snack or beverage.
4. Soy nuts: Look for soy nuts where other nuts are sold, or in the Asian cuisine section of the grocery store. Use them when baking cookies, bars, and loafs - or as a healthy addition to mixed nuts.
5. Soy cheese: You can find soy cheese in either the dairy aisle or the vegetable section (with the salad dressing) of the grocery store. Soy cheese can be cheddar or mozzarella flavored. Use soy cheese as a topping on salad, when making lasagna, or as part of a sandwich.
6. Soy cereal: You won't find soy cereal in the cereal aisle. Instead, look for it in the health foods section of the grocery store. Eat soy cereals as an alternative to high-calorie, high-sugar cereals.
7. Soy ice cream: Soy ice cream comes in many delicious flavors including strawberry, butterscotch, and almond vanilla. Top soy ice cream with fruit to make a healthy dessert.
8. Soft tofu: Because of its thick and creamy texture, soft tofu can be used in a many different ways. Salad dressings, sauces, deserts, and smoothies can all be made using soft tofu.
9. Hard tofu: Because of its firmer consistency, hard tofu is used more often in dishes where it will retain its shape. Try adding hard tofu to stir fries, salads, soups, pasta, or any other dish where it will absorb the flavor of the other foods.
10. Soy meats: Try soy burgers or soy veggie dogs as a healthy alternative the next time you barbeque. You can find soy burgers in the frozen food section, and soy veggie dogs with the meat hot dogs. The burgers come in both beef and chicken flavors, while the veggie dogs can be regular or spicy Italian style.

The Bottom Line

Soy foods are a great substitute for high-fat and high-calorie meats and dairy. With so many varieties available in your grocery store, you will always find the soy products you like. Always check the labels on foods and beverages to see if they contain soy. If the ingredient list includes soy protein or soybeans, you have found what you are looking for.

22 Healthy Bites - Beyond Snack Packs

Don't waste your money on those overpriced "100 Calorie" snacks that often times are still loaded with sugar and chemicals and often extremely high in sodium. Sorry charlie but "Whole Foods" do not come in snack packs.  If you have to go for the "Prepackaged food" like we all do sometimes here's a link to help you decide some of the best.

Now that said if you really want to "Snack Healthy" here is some suggeestions from WebMD

"Look for snacks that contain protein with healthy carbohydrates and fats, and eat your snacks slowly so they fill you up,"

Here are 22 portable and healthy snacks that make the list of dietitian's favorites:

• Half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread
• Low-sugar, whole-grain granola bars that have at least 3 grams of fiber
• Whole-grain crackers or whole-wheat tortilla with hummus or nut butter
• A handful of unsalted or lightly salted dry-roasted nuts
• Individual unsweetened applesauce with a few dry-roasted walnuts
• Small apple with 2 teaspoons peanut butter or 1 ounce low-fat cheese
• Ants on a log -- celery with nut butter, topped with raisins or other dried fruit
• Half of a single-serving string cheese with a small piece of fruit or a few whole-grain crackers
• 4-ounces to 6-ounces of low-fat yogurt or yogurt treat
• High-fiber dry cereal with a few nuts or seeds and dried fruit (put this in a baggie for a make-your-own snack pack)
• Individual packs of carrots, celery sticks, or apple slices, with a protein source like a tablespoon of nuts, nut butter, or low-fat cheese
• Pretzels and low-fat cheese
• Whole-wheat cracker sandwiches made with natural nut butters
• 1 ounce of lean meat and a few whole-grain crackers
• 3 ounces low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese and a few whole-grain crackers
• 1 whole graham cracker and 1 teaspoon nut butter
• Raw vegetables with 1/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
• 100-calorie pack of low-fat popcorn rich in whole grains and fiber
• Handful of tortilla chips and salsa
• 100-calorie ice cream treats
• "Skinny" latte (made with low-fat or skim milk)
• Small bowl of whole-grain cereal with skim milk or low-fat yogurt

On a side not you can find "Healthy Filling Foods" that don't pack on the pounds check out this slide show at WebMd.